This photograph floated into my mind as I thought about what
I could possibly say to you, a group of wannabe young journalists, sitting in a
room, earnest, open, expectant. I tend to think in pictures, which float in and
out of my head. And when I’m lucky enough or open enough or in the shower or
whatever it is that predisposes the mind to latch onto and capture our most
important and often elusive currency, which is to say our ideas, I try and stay
alert to that. So this picture came into my head. I shot it years ago, when I was just beginning
my career, when I was you. And I thought, that World War I veteran, sitting
there, that’s me: ancient, a little broken, just sort of holding it together --
at first glance, at least. And that’s
you, over there, that great-grandchild, face up against the window, clamoring
to get in.

My mother got cancer when I was 29. I was working at the
Virginian-Pilot then, and took a leave of absence to take care of her. A few
weeks turned into a few months and that eventually became six precious months
together until she died, finally, from cancer, and exhaustion and more morphine
than oughta be legal. When it was clear early on she was terminal and needed me
with her, the Virginian-Pilot encouraged me to go and do what I had to do and
don’t even think about them and Godspeed.
And they stayed true to that. They also kept me on the payroll the entire
time. The entire time. That, my friends, was the gilded age of journalism.

I bring up my mother because when I think of the waves of
grief I have endured in recent years, having experienced this slow motion
collapse of the world of big and of institutions and of journalism as we understood
it, and just, gosh, the entire revolution that is happening, and the redefinition
of the craft and how we practice it; When I think of all the amazing minds that
have left the industry -- whether through layoffs or just because they couldn’t
stomach it and they’ve got kids to take care of and all the real and legitimate
reasons, and even some of the phantom reasons, and just the cumulative effect
of all of it, of these tremendous, tsunami-size waves of grief; Well, it’s not
like losing your mother. But it’s close.

If you don’t have the mettle for the atmosphere I am describing
here you should walk away now and don’t look back -- while you still have
plenty of chance. But if, like me, you can’t imagine a life without all the
interestingness, the access and the steady stream of fascinating people and
stories and of the beauty that is our everyday ordinary, our privileged experience,
then by all means, welcome. Who am I to get in your way. Throw everything you
have at it. Be nimble. Be open. And play those two words on repeat. Nimble,
open, nimble, open.

Which brings me back to this picture. Because the best work
in whatever form contains nuance and metaphor and often a little irony or
paradox, and because wherever there is shadow, there will always be light, I
thought, well, sure, that’s me, that old guy. That much is obvious. But I’m
also that little kid, alive with the possibility and power of visual
journalism, hands pressed against this window of opportunity I have with the
work, and with you here now.

In ancient myth, as in life, wherever there is death, there
is always rebirth. And I think that’s where we are now. I’m often pretty much
baseline emotionally exhausted these days. But also – and please hold onto this
if nothing else – I’m exhilarated.